Zipper pull



T. HURST ZIPPER PULL Filed Aug. l0, 1965 FlG.

FIG.4.

mvENToR TIM HURST HAROLD s. oBRlAN, Jr.

ATTORNEY Nov. 8, 1966 .wifll n F I G. 2.

FIG. 3.

United States Patent O 3,283,381 ZIPPER PULL Tim Hurst, Philadelphia,Pa., assignor of one-half to Royal E. Christiansen and Rosalie L.Christiansen, jointly Filed Aug. 10, 1965, Ser. No. 478,562 6 Claims.(Cl. 24-205.15)

This invention relates to a zipper pull and, more particularly, to adevice which enables a person to open and close an inaccessible clothingzipper` The advantages of the device of this invention should beyreadily apparent to a person who has struggled by himself to open orclose a zipper located behind his back. This device remedies suchdifficulties by enabling the person to quite easily advance the zipperby a chain or cord Vpulled over a shoulder when closing the zipper orpulled at the lower side of the back when opening the zipper. Inaddition, this device incorporates structure which separates theundergarments from the zipper and aligns the zipper teeth of theclothing edges so that the zipper advances without fouling.

These and further advantages of this invention will become more apparentfrom the written description of the device set forth hereinbelow andfrom the drawing included herewith, wherein:

FIGURE l is a view of the preferred form of the zipper pull of thisinvention shown partly in section and partly in top view;

FIGURE 2 is a View of the device shown in FIGURE 1 partly in section andpartly in side elevation;

FIGURE 3 is an end View of the device as seen from the bottom of that asshown in FIGURE 2; and

FIGURE 4 is a sectional view of the device taken along the lines landarrows IV-IV of FIGURE l.

The preferred form of the zipper pull of this invention is shown inFIGURE l; in the position in which the device is normally employed toclose, for example, a typical zipper located in the back of a ladysdress. As indicated generally in that ligure, the device is attached atits lower end to the zipper 2 and pulled upwardly to advance the zipperwhich presses together the zipper teeth 3 attached to opposing edges ofthe fabric 4 and 5. Of course, the apparatus of this invention can beemployed with various types of zippers known in the art and theinvention can be used with zippers employed in many different materials.

The preferred form of the zipper pull of this invention is shown ingreatest detail in FIGURES l and 2 and comprises a generally cylindricalhousing 10, preferably formed of plastic or a similar light-weightmaterial, having a domed cap 12 at one end which ts partially within thehousing and is fxedly attached thereto. At the end opposite to the ca-p12, housing 10 has a cutaway portion 14 as shown in FIGURE 2 forpurposes `described hereinbelow. Fixedly attached to the housing 10 is agenerally flat, thin, elongated shoe 16, shown in FIGURES 2 and 3, whichextends beyond the cut-away end of housing 10 as a tapered portion 16a.Shoe 16 may be extended the entire length of housing 10 from tapered end16a or it may be terminated at any intermediate point.

A push rod 20 is mounted for limited axial movement within housing 10.Rod 20 has a looped outer end 21 to which a cord or chain 29 may beattached and, at the other end, is threadedly engaged Within a generallycylindrical plunger 30 located, when in its relaxed condition, largelywithin housing 10. Rod 2t) extends through a bore 13 formed in cap 12,supports a piston 22 mounted thereon and extends through `a bore in aspring base 24 which is fixedly mounted at a selected position withinhousing 10. Piston 22, as shown in greater detail in FIG- URE 4,comprises .a cylindrical piston body 22a with an lCC upper raisedportion 22b and a recess 22e in which fits a split washer 23. Washer 23tits within two parallel grooves 22d formed in the sides of rod 20 at aselected position along its length. When washer 23 is in grooves 22d,piston 22 cannot be moved toward the loop end 21 of rod 2t).

Spring base 24 can be xedly held within housing 10 by a pair of pins24a, as shown in FIGURE 1, and base 24 can be equipped with a raisedcenter portion 26.

An ordinary spiral compression spring 28 is located within housing 10and held captive by spring base 24 around portion 26 and by piston 22around a raised center portion 22e. It is apparent from FIGURES 1 .and 2that spring 28 xedly supported at one end by base 24, continuously urgespiston 22 and hence push rod 20 toward the cap 12 thereby drawingplunger 30 into the housing 10 at the opposite end.

Plunger 30 has a cut-away portion 32, shown in FIG- URE 2, whichextendsa portion of its axial length adjacent to housing 10 and shoe 16,A pin 34 is lixedly mounted through generally opposing walls of housing10 and located Within cut-away portion 32 of plunger 30, therebylimiting the axial movement of plunger 30 under the influence of spring28. As shown best in FIGURE 2, plunger 30 has a second cut-out portion36 which extends to the end of the plunger. Located adjacent to the endof plunger 30 is a transverse slot 38 (FIGURE 2) which is of suitablesize to receive a standard tab 2a of the zipper 2 therethrough.

FIGURE 3 shows the preferred relative locations and proportions of thehousing 10, the plunger 30 and the shoe 16.

Operation of the zipper pull in this invention is substantially asfollows. For example, the invention may be used to close the zipperlocated on the back vertical seam of a ladys dress. In this situation,for convenience, the device is attached to the zipper, before the dressis put on. By pressing the push rod 20 inwardly from the loop end 21 theplunger 30 extends from housing 10 as shown in two different positionsin FIGURES 1 and 2. While so extended, the zipper tab 2a may be placedin and through the slot 38 with the zipper 2 located within cut-awayportion 36, as shown in FIGURE 2. Shoe 16 is thereby positioned beneaththe Zipper 2 and beneath the `opposing edges 4, 5 of the fabric, onlyone of which is shown in FIGURE 2. The zipper teeth 3 pass on opposingsides of plunger 30 and through the cut-away portion 14 of the housing10, as shown in FIGURE l. When the device is so engaged (FIGURE 2), thefabric edges to be joined extend generally parallel to the housing 10,the end portion of plunger 39 adjacent to slot 38 is located on top ofthe zipper 2 and the shoe 16 is located beneath the zipper separating itfrom the undergarments, such as a slip or the like. The relativepositions of the zipper and the device in the initial engagementposition are shown in FIGURE 2. After the zipper tab 2a is positionedwithin slot 38, pressure on push rod 20 is reduced until spring 28advances the push rod and plunger to cause the zipper tab to be caughtagainst the housing 10 as shown in FIGURE 1.

The lady then puts the dress on and, when in position, grasps the chainor cord 29 extending from the loop end 21 of rod 20, passes the chaint-o her hand above one shoulder and pulls the device upwardly. Thezipper tab continues to be held tightly against the housing by theplunger 30 and the zipper is closed by movement of the zipper body 2upwardly joining the rows of zipper teeth attached to the fabric edges 4and 5. When the zipper is completely closed, the housing 10 is graspedin one hand and the push rod is pressed downwardly by the other hand.This causes the plunger to move out of ,the housing, as in FIGURE 2, andallows the withdrawal of the zipper tab from the plunger slot.

When the zipper in the dress is to be opened, the device is preferablyinverted from the position shown in FIG- URE 1 to facilitate passage ofthe tab into the slot of the manually extended plunger. ever, beoperated to open the zipper while held in the i position shown inFIGURES 1 and 2. After the tab Vis iplaced in the plunger slot 38 andspring pressure is allowed to again clamp the tab 2a against thehousing, the

The device can, howchain is pulled downward causing the secured zipperto open the zipper teeth. The apparatus of this invention lcan then bedetached from the zipper by extending the plunger to free the zipper tabfrom the plunger slot and against the edge of the housing. This may beaccomplished while the dress is still being worn or after it is removedIt should be recognized that among the advantages of the apparatus ofthis invention are its ease of use, simplicity of designA and materialsemployed and itsl general the scope of the claims appended hereto.

I claim:

1. A zipper pull for closing and opening zippers 1ocated in areas ofclothing inaccessible to the wearer when put on, said device comprisinga generally cylindrical housing,

a plunger mounted for limited axial movement mostly within but partiallyout of the housing, said plunger having zipper engaging means located atone end and a push rod connected to the other end withinfthe housing,said rod extending out of the housing at the distal end and havingconnected thereto accessible hand gripping means, Y

said zipper engaging means comprising a slot located adjacent to the endof the plunger, said slotbeing of a size suitable to receive the zippertab therethrough when the plunger is extended from the housa cut-awayportion formed in the end of the plunger adjacent to the slot of suchsizey to receive the zipper body therein when the zipper tab is locatedwithin the plunger slot, and

plunger spring and limit means mounted within the housing to continuallyurge the plunger into the housing toward the push rod end whereby theplunger is extended from the housing against spring tension by pressingthe push rod inwardly to allow the plunger to engage the zipper, saidzipper tab being held within the plunger slot against the housing by thespring means when pressure on the rod is discontinued, the rod handgripping means then being pulled to -advance the zipper in the desireddirection.

2. The device as defined in claim 1 further including a generally atelongated shoe attached to and extending beyond the end of the housingat the zipper engaging end, said shoe so located in relation to theplunger slot that when the zipper tab is located within the slot, theshoe is positioned beneath the zipper and generally beneath the opposingedges of the clothing.

3. The device as defined in claim 2 wherein the plunger spring meanslocated within the housing comprise a piston mounted on the push rod formovement with the rod within the housing,

a spring base iixedly mounted within the housing having a bore throughwhich the push rod extends, and

a compression spring mounted between the spring base and the piston soyas to continually urge the push rod toward the distal end of thehousing.

4. The device as defined in claim 3 wherein the plunger limit meanscomprises a cut-away portion formed in the plunger for a portion of itsaxial length, v

a pin positioned transversely within the housing and located within thecut-away portion of the plunger, said pin and portion determining theextent of the axial movement of the plunger.

5. The device as delined in claim 4 wherein tl'iekrodV hand grippingmeans comprises a cord attached to the push rod at the end locateddistant from the plunger, said cord being of sutlicient length to enablea person to grasp the cord over ashoulder and advance the device .toclose the zipper by pulling the cord.

6. The device as defined in claim 5 wherein the shoe adjacent to theplunger slot is tapered to a point from the sides and from the fiatsurface adjacent to the housing to the opposing tiat surface.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,065,854 12/1936Edel. 2,530,518 11/19150 Girard 24-239 2,645,832 7/1953 Lee. 2,928,1573/ 1960 Deering. 3,101,964 8/1964 Reaser 294-26 FOREIGN PATENTS 531,7761/ 1941 Great Britain.

BERNARD A. GELAK, Primary Examiner.

1. A ZIPPER PULL FOR CLOSING AND OPENING ZIPPERS LOCATED IN AREAS OFCLOTHING INACCESSIBLE TO THE WEARER WHEN PUT ON, SAID DEVICE COMPRISINGA GENERALLY CYLINDRICAL HOUSING, A PLUNGER MOUNTED FOR LIMITED AXIALMOVEMENT MOSTLY WITHIN BUT PARTIALLY OUT OF THE HOUSING, SAID PLUNGERHAVING ZIPPER ENGAGING MEANS LOCATED AT ONE END AND A PUSH ROD CONNECTEDTO THE OTHER END WITHIN THE HOUSING, SAID ROD EXTENDING OUT OF THEHOUSING AT THE DISTAL END AND HAVING CONNECTED THERETO ACCESSIBLE HANDGRIPPING MEANS, SAID ZIPPER ENGAGING MEANS COMPRISING A SLOT LOCATEDADJACENT TO THE END OF THE PLUNGER, SAID SLOT BEING OF A SIZE SUITABLETO RECEIVE THE ZIPPER TAB THERETHROUGH WHEN THE PLUNGER IS EXTENDED FROMTHE HOUSING, A CUT-AWAY PORTION FORMED IN THE END OF THE PLUNGERADJACENT TO THE SLOT OF SUCH SIZE TO RECEIVE THE ZIPPER BODY THEREINWHEN THE ZIPPER TAB IS LOCATED WITHIN THE PLUNGER SLOT, AND PLUNGERSPRING AND LIMIT MEANS MOUNTED WITHIN THE HOUSING TO CONTINUALLY URGETHE PLUNGER INTO THE HOUSING TOWARD THE PUSH ROD END WHEREBY THE PLUNGERIS EXTENDED FROM THE HOUSING AGAINST SPRING TENSION BY PRESSING THE PUSHROD INWARDLY TO ALLOW THE PLUNGER TO ENGAGE THE ZIPPER, SAID ZIPPER TABBEING HELD WITHIN THE PLUNGER SLOT AGAINST THE HOUSING BY THE SPRINGMEANS WHEN PRESSURE ON THE ROD IS DISCONTINUED, THE ROD HAND GRIPPINGMEANS THEN BEING PULLED TO ADVANCE THE ZIPPER IN THE DESIRED DIRECTION.